The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams was met with skepticism in some quarters. Critics feared that increasing the number of participants would dilute the quality of the competition and create more one-sided contests. Yet after the opening round of group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Africa’s representatives have emerged as some of the tournament’s most compelling stories.

While the numbers show African teams recording three wins, five draws and four defeats from their opening fixtures, the results only tell part of the story. Across the United States, Canada and Mexico, African nations have demonstrated that they are no longer content with simply participating. Instead, they are competing toe-to-toe with some of football’s most established powers.

Morocco continue where Qatar 2022 left off

No African side has made a stronger statement than Morocco.

The Atlas Lions arrived at the tournament carrying the legacy of their historic run to the semifinals in Qatar four years ago. Against five-time world champions Brazil, they showed that achievement was no fluke.

Morocco secured a 1-1 draw and arguably looked the better side for large stretches of the contest. Their pressing unsettled Brazil, their midfield controlled key phases of the game and Ismael Saibari’s goal highlighted the attacking quality within the squad.

They went on to take all 3 points against Scotland to almost ensure qualification to the next round

Ivory Coast deliver Africa’s biggest victory

If Morocco produced the performance, Ivory Coast delivered the result.

Making their first World Cup appearance in 12 years, Les Elephants defeated Ecuador 1-0 thanks to Amad Diallo’s dramatic 90th-minute winner.

The victory was significant not only because it ended Ecuador’s impressive unbeaten streak but also because it represented a shift in mentality. African teams have often produced impressive performances against higher-ranked opponents only to fall short due to missed chances or late setbacks.

Cape Verde’s dream debut continues

One of the tournament’s biggest surprises came from Cape Verde.

Facing former world champions Spain in their first World Cup campaign, few gave the island nation much chance of taking anything from the match. Yet Cape Verde frustrated Spain throughout a disciplined defensive display and earned a remarkable 0-0 draw.

The result highlighted the growing depth within African football. Even teams without the pedigree of Morocco, Senegal or Ivory Coast are now capable of competing with elite opposition on the world’s biggest stage.

Senegal show they can still challenge the elite

Senegal may have lost 3-1 to France, but the scoreline does not fully reflect their performance.

For long periods, the Lions of Teranga matched one of the tournament favourites. They competed physically, created opportunities and demonstrated why they remain one of Africa’s most respected footballing nations.

Ultimately, the individual brilliance of France’s attackers proved decisive. However, Senegal’s display suggested they remain capable of advancing from their group and potentially causing problems in the knockout rounds.

Not every story has been positive

The opening round also provided some difficult lessons.

South Africa struggled in a 2-0 defeat to Mexico, appearing overwhelmed by both the occasion and the atmosphere. Tunisia endured the heaviest defeat among African teams, losing 5-1 to Sweden in a result that immediately increased pressure on the squad.

Iraq’s heavy loss to Norway also served as a reminder that tournament football often punishes defensive lapses.

Yet even these setbacks must be viewed in context. Several African teams faced elite opponents, host nations or traditional World Cup contenders in their opening matches.  However. South Africa’s late draw against Czechia showed promise yet again that there is still hope for the ‘Bafana Bafana’ to stay at this year’s World Cup.

Africa’s strongest World Cup generation?

The most encouraging sign for African football is not the results themselves but the manner in which they have been achieved.

Morocco controlled Brazil. Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador. Cape Verde frustrated Spain. Senegal competed evenly with France.

These are no longer isolated surprises. They are becoming recurring themes.

As the World Cup progresses, African nations appear well-positioned to place multiple teams in the knockout rounds. If the opening week is any indication, the continent’s representatives are not merely filling places in the expanded tournament—they are helping define it.

The expanded World Cup was designed to give more regions a greater voice on football’s biggest stage. Africa has wasted little time showing why it deserves one.

There is no shortage of respect between Brad Pauls and Denzel Bentley, yet they both know a middleweight rematch is becoming increasingly more likely.

The pair squared off for Pauls’ British title, and the vacant European strap, in December 2024, when the challenger triumphed by unanimous decision in a competitive contest.

Since then, both have claimed significant stoppages, with Bentley coming off a seventh-round finish over Endry Saavedra for the WBO ‘interim’ title in April and Pauls halting Shakiel Thompson with a stunning ninth-round onslaught in March.

Prior to his victory, Pauls had been sparring his former foe and, even ahead of his next outing, the two of them have shared plenty of rounds.

With both signed to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, though, it could be a matter of time before they once again meet under the bright lights.

Speaking with Boxing News, Pauls reveals that he and Bentley have already discussed this possibility.

“I really like Denzel, he’s a cool guy, but we’ve both been saying that, if we keep winning, [Queensberry are] going to make us fight again. It makes complete sense, especially if I get a world title. We’d have to stop sparring but, more than likely, we’ll end up fighting again.”

With Bentley in line for an eventual world title shot, Pauls would need to leverage his No.12 ranking with the IBF in order to secure their unification match.

The more likely route, however, would be a direct WBO title challenge, given Pauls’ No.4 ranking with the sanctioning body and the possibility of Bentley being elevated to full champion; otherwise the Londoner will need to defeat Janibek Alimkhanuly once the Uzbek returns from his year-long doping suspension.

Either way, it seems that Pauls is edging closer to a major opportunity following his tremendous underdog victory over Thompson.

After trailing on the judges’ scorecards, ‘The Newquay Bomb’ took a gamble in round nine and managed to suddenly swing the result in his favour.

Reflecting on his performance, Pauls believes it was his overall experience that made a considerable difference.

“It’s got to add 10 or 15%. I always go back to the [Tyler] Denny fight – my first fight on TV – and it really threw me off.

“But since then, it all just feels familiar – the big occasions, the cameras, the massive venues. Going into the late rounds against Shakiel, that’s when you pull on the experience to get you through.

“A member of my corner team, Ellis [Steward], said: ‘I’d rather you get knocked out trying to knock him out than just play it safe and cruise it to a points loss’. And I was like, ‘I’ve got two rounds left –  I need to start taking big chances’.”

Sure enough, the risk paid off as Pauls pulled off a sizable upset to secure his place on the undercard of Ryan Garner vs Michael Magnesi at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, this Saturday.

The 33-year-old will face tricky southpaw Bradley Goldsmith, having just defeated another lefty in Thompson.

If he emerges victorious then Pauls could end up in another domestic dustup later this year, potentially against Sam Gilley, who comes off a clinical fifth-round stoppage over Aston Brown.

“There were about eight names in the hat. [Gilley] was one of the first names but I think my management team would rather do it at the end of the year, when it could become a bigger fight.

“But Queensberry were like, ‘You’re not getting no easy fight’, so that’s how I ended up with Bradley Goldsmith.”

Whether he ends up facing Gilley, Bentley or a totally different fighter, Pauls’ ultimate goal is to headline a televised show in the South West of England.

From a logistical perspective, the nearest venue to Newquay, his home town, is Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park Stadium, where he hopes to eventually fight for world honours.

“We could do it at Plymouth Argyle [Home Park Stadium]. There’s a few more fighters coming out of the South West, like [British welterweight champion] Constantine Ursu.

“That’d be a dream, to bring big time boxing to the South West.”

In order for Pauls to keep this dream alive, he must first take care of the Dominic Ingle-trained Goldsmith.

For decades, the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot has often been shaped by one dominant striker separating himself from the field. In 2002 it was Ronaldo. In 2014 it was James Rodriguez. In 2018, Harry Kane pulled away early. In 2022, Kylian Mbappe produced one of the greatest scoring campaigns in World Cup history.

The 2026 edition feels different.

Just one round of group-stage matches into the tournament, the race is already crowded with some of the biggest names in football. More importantly, the expanded 48-team format may create the perfect conditions for an unprecedented scoring battle.

Messi, Mbappe, Kane and Haaland all firing

The biggest reason the race looks so open is that almost every major contender has already made an impact.

Lionel Messi leads the standings with three goals after his hat-trick against Algeria. At 38, the Argentine superstar is chasing the only major individual World Cup honour missing from his collection.

Close behind are Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, all sitting on two goals.

Mbappe remains the benchmark after winning the Golden Boot in Qatar four years ago and has already reminded the world of his quality with a brilliant brace against Senegal.

Kane, the 2018 Golden Boot winner, also started strongly with two goals against Croatia and has favourable group-stage matches still to come.

The expanded World Cup changes everything

The move from 32 to 48 teams could have a major influence on the Golden Boot race.

More teams means more matches and a wider gap in quality between some nations. Historically, tournament expansions often create opportunities for elite forwards to boost their numbers during the group stage.

Players representing traditional powerhouses such as France, England, Argentina, Germany and Brazil may find themselves facing less experienced opponents than previous generations did.

A striker who scores heavily in the group stage can quickly build a lead that becomes difficult to erase.

At the same time, teams that progress deep into the knockout rounds will provide their star forwards with even more opportunities to add to their totals. 

Dark horses are already emerging

The race is not just about the usual superstars.

USA forward Folarin Balogun has already scored twice and has become one of the surprise early contenders. Germany’s Kai Havertz has matched that tally, while Sweden’s Yasin Ayari and New Zealand’s Elijah Just have also entered the conversation.

The presence of these unexpected names highlights another consequence of expansion: more nations now have a realistic chance of producing breakout stars on the biggest stage.

Team success may decide the winner

History shows that Golden Boot winners usually come from teams that reach the latter stages.

That is why Mbappe, Messi and Kane remain among the favourites despite the crowded leaderboard. France, Argentina and England are all expected to challenge for the title, potentially giving their stars seven or eight matches to accumulate goals.

Haaland faces a tougher path with Norway drawn alongside France and Senegal, while players from smaller nations may struggle to maintain their scoring pace once the knockout rounds begin.

A race that could go down to the final

The most fascinating aspect of the 2026 Golden Boot battle is that no single player has established clear control.

Messi leads. Mbappe is defending his crown. Kane is chasing a second Golden Boot. Haaland is experiencing his first World Cup. Emerging stars such as Balogun and Havertz are keeping pace.

Add the expanded tournament format and the increased number of matches, and the conditions are in place for what could become the most competitive Golden Boot race the World Cup has ever seen.

For now, Messi holds the advantage. But with so many elite finishers already finding the net, the race appears far from settled.

A dream start for the United States Men’s National Team continued on Friday, and the dream will continue into the next round.

The United States World Cup team clinched a spot in the knockout stage with its 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle on Friday afternoon, its second win in as many games in this World Cup.

It’s the first time since the inaugural World Cup in 1930 that the United States has won back-to-back World Cup games.

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Team USA celebrates a goal vs. Paraguay in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

The United States’ second World Cup match got off to an awfully familiar start. Flo Balogun’s pass hit Australia’s Cameron Burgess and was directed into the net, resulting in an own goal in the 10th minute and giving the Americans an early lead in the group stage matchup.

It was the first time in World Cup history in which a team benefited from own goals in back-to-back games.

The field stayed tilted after the first goal, with the Stars and Stripes getting plenty of chances. Amazingly enough, though, they did not have a shot on goal for roughly 43 minutes.

But the U.S. found the back of the net at the tail end of that 43rd minute after a free kick was stopped, and then Alex Freeman, the son of former NFL player Antonio Freeman, headed a ball in. Officials initially ruled it offside, but a VAR check reversed the call, sending Seattle’s Lumen Field into a frenzy and giving Freeman, the youngest player on the roster at just 21-years-old, his first World Cup goal.

Through 71 minutes, the United States had possession of the ball for over 60% of the time as opposed to nearly 30% for Australia.

The United States is now 11-2-1 when scoring first in the World Cup.

It was announced before the game that Christian Pulisic would not play after suffering a calf injury last week. However, the Americans hardly missed a beat without him.

United States’ Alex Freeman heads the ball for a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Seattle on June 19, 2026. (Maddy Grassy/AP Photo)

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The team already has six goals in group play, tying its group stage record.

With its 2-0 record, the United States is in first place with six points, while Australia remains with three and in second place. Both Paraguay and Turkey, who face off on Friday to potentially determine the USA’s group fate, are winless with zero points.

The United States would clinch a Group D victory, and a favorable draw in the Round of 32, if Paraguay either beats or ties with Turkey — that game kicks off at 11 p.m. ET.

However, a Turkey loss may actually not affect the United States too negatively. Sure, they would be in last place in the group by three points; but the U.S. would be able to rest a lot of its players — namely Pulisic — to give Turkey a favorable matchup to potentially snatch a Round of 32 spot.

Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson celebrate after scoring during the World Cup Group D match between the United States and Australia in Seattle on June 19, 2026. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo)

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The top two finishers from each of the 12 groups advance, as well as the eight-best third-place finishers. So while the U.S. may be able to sit comfortably for its own sake, it could certainly be involved in some mayhem.

No matter the case, the United States will take the pitch back in Los Angeles against Turkey next Thursday.

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Haiti have become the first team to be eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in their second Group C match.

The Caribbean side needed a positive result to keep their hopes alive, but they were outclassed by a strong Brazilian team that secured victory with three first-half goals.

Brazil took the lead through Matheus Cunha, who was handed a starting place ahead of Igor Thiago. The striker reacted quickest inside the box to score from close range and put his side in front.

Cunha doubled Brazil’s advantage a few minutes later with an excellent finish, giving the South Americans complete control of the contest.

Vinicius Junior added a third before half-time, showing great composure to beat the Haiti goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation and put the result beyond doubt.

Brazil could have increased their lead after the break, but the tempo of the game dropped in the second half. Haiti changed their formation from a defensive 5-4-1 to a more attacking 4-4-2, while Brazil appeared content to manage the game and conserve energy.

Despite showing more attacking intent after the interval, Haiti were unable to find a way through the Brazilian defence and finished the match without a goal.

The defeat means Haiti can no longer qualify for the knockout stages, making them the first nation to be eliminated from the tournament.

For Brazil, the victory keeps their World Cup campaign firmly on track. Following Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland, both teams are level on points, but Brazil move to the top of Group C on goal difference.

With qualification now within reach, Brazil will head into their final group match full of confidence, while Haiti must play only for pride after seeing their World Cup journey come to an early end.

After a stuttering start against Morocco, Brazil have finally got their World Cup party started.

A 3-0 win over Haiti was just what the doctor ordered after an unconvincing and unbalanced performance in their opening game, and while the usual suspects were at the heart of things for the Selecao, it was a makeshift solution that unlocked their opposition.

Matheus Cunha, most often used as a winger at club level by Manchester United, was chosen to lead the line in Philadelphia, and while Raphinha and Vinicius Jr led the show early on, it was the 27-year-old who opened the scoring, dropping deep to create the opening and managing to bundle it in via the help of Haiti defender Hannes Delcroix.

The winger-turned-striker soon had his second too, making a clever run in behind an admittedly lacklustre Haitian defence before rifling in a superb finish to effectively end the game.

Brazil were two ahead without having to enter second gear, and they soon added a third as Vini Jr raced clear to latch onto Lucas Paqueta’s through ball and slide in a neat finish.

For Cunha – who had been left on the bench for the opener against Morocco – it was a solid audition as he made his claim to Brazil’s number nine spot, with his movement helping his teammates and giving both star wingers more space to operate in.

Nevertheless, this was a game against one of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, and his goals were just his second and third in the famous Selecao shirt despite frequently being used as a striker in the past.

While he’s proved his ability to finish difficult chances when playing for his club side, we haven’t had enough evidence as to whether Cunha can function as a striker at the top level while giving the team what they need from a number nine. Could he provide more of a classic number nine performance, or offer an outlet when Brazil face a better side?

Those questions remain unanswered but this performance was a step in the right direction, though tougher tests are just around the corner, from Scotland in their final group game to a last-32 tie against the likes of Japan.

And in any case, the idea that the Selecao might have found their answer to their striker problem might have to be shelved for now. An injury to Raphinha – who was forced off with a suspected hamstring issue before the end of the first half – means Cunha may find that his time at striker is short-lived. Interestingly, Ancelotti declined to claim he’d found a solution to the striker issue in his post-match conference, preferring to keep his cards close to his chest.

Ancelotti suggested that Raphinha came off due to tightness in his hamstring, but if the Barcelona man is ruled out for any bigger games, then Ancelotti might be forced to use Cunha on the right wing over the likes of Gabriel Martinelli or Rayan. If this is the case, it could open up the chance for a fan favourite to take his place up front.

Real Madrid striker Endrick, who ended last season on loan at Lyon, is a popular striker choice with the Selecao faithful, with the biggest cheer of the day reserved for when the 19-year-old took Cunha’s place, and again when his name was read by the stadium announcer.

Many fans have wanted to see more of a player branded an “extraordinary talent” by Ancelotti, but he has found opportunities hard to come by since the Italian took over, missing out on the squad for the last four friendlies of 2025 before being given 14 minutes in the win over Croatia and 45 minutes against both Panama and Egypt in the warm-up friendlies.

A tally of five goals in 16 Ligue 1 appearances does not appear enough for Ancelotti to pin his hopes on Endrick, and indeed he did not feature off the bench in the draw to Morocco. There are high hopes for the youngster, but the current Brazil manager is surely one of the best-placed figures in world football to tell whether he is ready for the pressure that being a figurehead of the Selecao puts on a player.

However, there were flashes of his ability when he came on in Philadelphia, a good run and well-taken finish eventually flagged for offside but also offering a glimpse of what the 19-year-old could offer as an alternative to Cunha or Igor Thiago. At present, the youngster makes an interesting proposition for the number nine position, not least because of the injury to Raphinha.

Indeed, Ancelotti himself has previously stated he will “bring Endrick on at the right moment”, adding that “he’ll be important in this World Cup”. The Italian is still tinkering with his side as he looks to find the right formula, but with plenty of uncertainty still in the Brazilian camp, perhaps Endrick’s ‘moment’ will come sooner rather than later.

Scotland were left stunned by what was the fastest goal of World Cup 2026 to that point as Morocco sprinted into the lead 70 seconds after kick-off.

Ismael Saibari leathered past Angus Gunn to open the scoring during in lightning-quick fashion, with Grant Hanley mistiming his step up to allow the forward to run clean through and fire home.

It was the earliest a player has scored in a World Cup match since Alphonso Davies struck in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he netted Canada’s first ever World Cup goal against Croatia inside 68 seconds.

Saibari claimed the accolade of quickest goal of this summer’s tournament but held it for only a couple of hours, with Paraguay’s Matias Galarza drilling home in 64 seconds to break his record. However, both are actually quite a way off the all-time mark, not even breaking into the top 10.

Hakan Sukur boasts the fastest World Cup goal of all time at a blistering 11 seconds, with the Turkey hero-turned-political exile stunning hosts South Korea after stealing possession from kick-off.

England’s Bryan Robson scored in 28 seconds in 1982 while Clint Dempsey netted inside 30 seconds for the USA at Brazil 2014, two goals which are only enough for fourth and fifth in the rankings.

North Korea also have a name on the list, with Pak Seung-zin scoring in 50 seconds in 1966 to put them ahead in their quarter-final against Portugal. The Selecao would come back to win 5-3 in that game, with the honour of knocking them out going to eventual champions England in the next round.

More recently, Mathias Jorgensen scored for Denmark from an early long throw in 55 seconds against Croatia in their 2018 round of 16 match, a match the Danes also went on to lose. That is the 10th fastest time that a goal has been in World Cup history, meaning you have to at least break the minute mark to get in the rankings.

But in Saibari’s hopes of entering some sort of record book, he may be glad to hear that his strike was the earliest goal Scotland have ever conceded at a World Cup.

Saibari also scored a wonderful goal in Morocco’s opening draw with Brazil, again being set in behind before dinking Alisson Becker with a chip.

He is fast emerging as one of this summer’s breakout stars after an influential Africa Cup of Nations campaign, which saw Morocco lose a home final to Senegal before being awarded the title after the fact, with the Teranga Lions stripped of their crown after staging a controversial walk-off over a late VAR penalty decision.

The 25-year-old, who has spent his entire senior career so far at Eredivisie champions PSV, is heavily reported to be on the verge of a €55m move to Bayern Munich.

Ballarat trainer Mitch Freedman is in a quandary regarding the next career step for Tatakai Uta, weighing the merits of a Flemington straight race against targeting a less formidable contest.

Freedman is of the opinion that Tatakai Uta has the potential to develop into a city-class competitor but is apprehensive about pushing the three-year-old into metropolitan racing prematurely.

The gelding is scheduled to participate in the Rod Johnson Handicap (1100m) at Flemington this Saturday, but the potential involvement of Sydney contender Ice Kool is a factor occupying Freedman’s thoughts.

“The Sydney visitor looks exceptionally good and looks like it does a lot of things right, so it will be very hard to beat if it does come down here,” Freedman commented.

Tatakai Uta has had only three starts, finishing second in maiden races at Donald and Bendigo before recording his maiden win at the Swan Hill Carnival midway through the month.

Sent off as the $1.36 favourite, Tatakai Uta reportedly gave his supporters some nervous moments before ultimately winning, according to Freedman.

While the victory was timely, Freedman is keen to avoid compromising the horse’s development by taking him to the city too soon.

“He’s a horse that has plenty of upside, but he’s just doing a couple of things wrong still,” Freedman said.

“He was a short-priced favourite at Swan Hill and he did a few things wrong and probably gave punters a few nervous moments, but he’s shown us enough ability, and I think he will be a horse that gets to city level, but whether that’s now or later down the track.

“We’re a little bit hesitant while he’s learning whether he needs to take that step to town, so whether it’s now or whether we should be aiming for something softer, we shall see.

“Having said that, horses that are progressive in that three-year-old grade, you can really see them leap to a new level, but it’s a balancing act how much you raise the bar and how much that might destroy his confidence.

“It’s a little bit tricky.”

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